Match-box.



- No. 761,906. PATENTED JUNE 7,.1904

. F. B. PRINGLE.

MATCH BOX.

APPLICATION FILED 00124, 1903. NO 1401321..

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MATCH BOX. APPLICATION FILED 901224. 1903.

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, UNITED STATES Patented. June '7, 190 4.

PATENT OFFICE.

MATCH-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,906, dated June 7, 1904.

Application filed October 24, 1908! Serial No. 178,387. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK B.PRINGLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Madison, State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful 1mprovements in Match-Boxes; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to match-boxes, and more particularly to the class of single-delivery match-boxes, the object of the invention being to provide a match-box which may be formed of sheet metal and may be constructed at a low cost and from which the matches can be removed only one at a time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a box which when filled and closed cannot be opened until the matches have been re tion taken vertically through the box and showing the manner of releasing the latch when the box is to be opened. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the blank from which the body of the box is formed. Fig. 4 is a hori- Zontal section through the body of the matchbox in the plane of the ejecting-slots, said slots being shown. in alinement. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the blank from which the guide for the ejecting-slide is formed.

Referring now to the drawings, the body of the match-box is formed of a metal blank, (illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings) comprising the rectangular front portion 10 and a similar back portion 11 ,the latter being bent on the line 12 to lie at an acute angle to the portion 10 and in the rear, thereof, the member 11 being bent again on the line 13 to line parallel with the member 10 and with its upper edge flush with the corresponding edge of the member 10.

At the sides of the member 10 are wings 14 and 15, which are bent on the lines 16 and 1'7, respectively, to stand at right angles to the member 10 and the outer edges of the portion and 17, as above described, and from the lower portions of the wings extend supplemental wings 20 and 21, having feet 22 and 23, respectively, at their lower ends, which serve to support the box. It will of course be understood that, if desired, the back piece 11 may be connected to wings 1 1 and 15 by soldering.

In the lower portion of the front 10 of the box is formed a vertical slot 24: of a width sufficient to permit of insertion of the thumb and forefinger of the operator, and transversely of the front 10 at a point below the upper end of the slot 2 1 and intersecting said slot is formed a second slot 25, which extends throughout the width of the front 10. The object of these two slots is to permit of the insertion of the thumb and forefinger to grasp a match'in the lower portion of the box and to draw the match forwardly through the slot 25 during the operation of removing the match, as hereinafter described.

A slide-holder or guideway is formed from a plate 26, the ends of said plate being bent rearwardly at right angles, as shown at 27 and 28, then toward each other parallel with the body of the plate, as shown at 29 and 30, and then away from the plate and at right angles thereto, as shown at 31 and 32. The plate 26 is disposed transversely of the front of the box, with the portions 31 and 32 against the sides of the latter, to which they are soldered or otherwise attached so that the body of the plate is held parallel to and spaced forwardly from the front 10. Through the lower edge of the guide-plate 26 isformed a slot 33, which registers with the slot 24: and terminates even with the upperend of the latter, so that access to the slot 2 1 may be had. The guide-plate covers the slot 25.

An ejecting-plate 34: is provided and isdisposed between the plate 26 and the front 10 of the box so that it may slide vertically. 1n the slide-plate or ejector-plate is formed a v'ertieally-elongated opening 38 of a width equal to that of the slot 24, and transversely of the slide-plate is formed a slot 39, which intersects the said opening substantially midway of its ends. 'hen the ejector-plate or slide-plate is at the upper limit of itsmovement, its transverse slot registers with the slot 25, while the upper edges of the opening 38 and the slots 33 and 24 are flush. At this time the transverse slot 39 lies behind the guide-plate 26.

A quantity of matches are placed transversely in the body of the box, and the taper of the lower portion of the box causes the matches to feed into position against the front of the box at this portion. Vhen a match is to be removed, the thumb and forefinger of the operator are to pass through the alining slots and opening and a match in the box is grasped and drawn forwardly through the slot 25 and into the slot 39. The match is then pressed downwardly, so that the slide is moved downwardly until the slot 39 is brought below the lower edge of the guide-plate 9.6, when the match may be drawn outwardly from the guide-plate. The slide is provided with a friction-surface 40, upon which the match may be struck. When the slide-plate is released by withdrawal of the match from the slot 39 therein, said slide is raised to its normal position by means of the helical spring 41, which is attached at one end to the slideplate and at its opposite end to the upper portion of the front face of the box.

The top of the box is provided with a lid 43, which is hinged at its front edge to the front of the box, and from the under side of the lid and adjacent to its rear edge there depends a spring-latch 44, having its head beveled, as shown at 45, so that when the lid is closed the bevel will strike the transverse bar or keeper 46 and the latch will be forced rearwardly until the lid is closed, when the head will spring under the keeper to prevent raising of the lid. WV hen the lid is closed and the latch is engaged, the latch cannot be disengaged excepting by means of a tool introduced through the slot 24, and such tool cannot be introduced while the matches close said slot. A tool or key 46 is provided, and

when a sufficient number of matches have been removed to expose the upper end of the slot 24 the tool or key may be passed through the slot and its web or wing 47 inserted beneath the head 45, when by rotating the key the latch will be sprung from engagement with the keeper-bar 46, The lid maybe then raised and the box again lilled.

It will be understood that in practice moditications of the specific construction shown may be made and that any suitable materials and proportions may be used for the various parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

hat is claimed isl. A match-box having a vertical lingerrecei-ving slot in one wall thereof and a transverse match-slot intersecting the first-named slot, an ejecting-plate slidably mounted, said plate having a linger-receiving opening dis posed to communicate with the linger-receiving slot at all points of movement of the plate and having a transverse match-slot intersecting the finger-opening and disposed to alinc with the first-named match-slot when the plate is in normal position, and a guide-plate between which and the box the ejecting-plate is mounted, said guide-plate having a. slot registering with the linger-receiving slot of the box and beneath which guide-plate the match-slot of the ejecting-plate normally lies.

2. A match-box having a linger-receiring slot and a transverse match slot intersecting the first-named slot, a guide-plate mounted upon the box and having a linger-receiving slot registering with the linger-receiving slot of the box, a plate slidably mounted bvt\veen the guide-plate and the box and having a linger-receiving opening disposed to register with said finger-receiving slots and having also a transverse match-slot intersecting its linger-receiving slot and adapted to register with the match-receiving slot of the box, and means for holding the sliding plate normally with the linger-opening and slots in registration, said guide-plate covering the matchslot of the box at the sides of the linger-rcceiving slot of the box.

In testimony whereof I. ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK B. PRINGLIC.

Vitnesses:

(J. M. TuoMrsoN, J. 1i. Lrox. 

